Paper number 311

DAMAGE/WEIGHT LOSS RELATIONSHIP OF POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES UNDER THERMAL AGEING

X. Colin, C. Marais and J.P. Favre

Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales,
Département Matériaux et Systèmes Composites,
29, avenue de la division Leclerc, BP 72, Châtillon, 92322 Cedex, France

Summary

With the intention of being used as structural materials for the next generation supersonic aircraft, carbon/polymer composites were put into context by subjecting them to accelerated thermal ageing conditions. Damage observed on two unidirectional composites (T800/F655-2 and IM7/977-2) and their corresponding neat resin aged for several thousands hours in air at various temperatures is described and discussed. The analysis is conducted following two approaches : a local approach that displays both oxidation of the matrix and cracking of composite free edges and a global approach that shows the material weight evolution. Subsequently, different degradation modes take place at the same time for each of three principal directions of the unidirectional composite. The magnitude of damages significantly depends on fibre orientation of free surfaces exposed to environment.

Keywords

polymer matrix, durability, ageing, damage, oxidation, weight loss.